Zaramoth
Zaramoth was the final ruler of the Empire of Stars, and the last of the Utgard giants. He is best known as the Unmaker, a title he received for his brutal destruction of entire civilizations, including that of the Agallans. Even after his death, his dark legacy lived on within his sword. Biography Rise to Power Born to the Utgards, a race of destructive giants living in the eastern mountains of Aranna, Zaramoth embraced his race's ideals. Seeing a way to pursue their twisted goals through Zaramoth, the Utgards crafted him a sword, imbuing it with their own souls. They meant for this blade to serve as the tool that would finally crush their age-old enemies, the Agallans, but Zaramoth cared little for this ancient grudge, and soon turned his eyes west, to the Empire of Stars. Emperor Veransk III, who was without an heir, wrote in his will that Zaramoth would succeed him on the throne. It is believed that one of Zaramoth's Seck minions possessed the man to write this before compelling him to commit suicide. Whether this is true or not matters little in the long run, as Zaramoth was crowned the new Emperor of Stars after Veransk III's untimely death. Thirteen of the Empire's legions swore fealty to Zaramoth, joining his already vast army, with only the 10th Legion denying the evil emperor's legitimacy, fleeing far to the west to escape his wrath. Control of Aranna Soon after his ascension, Zaramoth made a treaty with the Agallans, promising some unknown concession as long as they did not meddle in his affairs. The giants agreed to this pact in order to prevent further conflict. This would lead the Elves to brand the Agallan leader, Elandir, as a traitor. At some point during this period, the Cinbri also joined Zaramoth's cause, and together, they took control of Aranna's magic by capping the River of Souls that flowed beneath the land, funneling it's energy into the Cinbri City. Magic became strictly regulated, with it's unsanctioned use being punishable by death. Not content with the imperial palace in Iliyara, Zaramoth gathered the Empire's greatest architects, and had them carve a fortress from which he could rule. Hewn from the stone of a living mountain, this ominous place, which would become known as Zaramoth's Horns, was a cruel mix of torture chamber and lavish castle, inspiring a new breed of fear that would allow Zaramoth's tyrannical rule to go unchallenged for many years. Azunai the Heretic Despite Zaramoth's extreme strength, he was not totally invincible, nor was he completely omnipotent. Although he and the Cinbri had taken control of the River of Souls, it's sheer size made it impossible to stop every single entrance, especially when their wards were bypassed via an uncharted system of caverns and tunnels. One such cave was used by a small boy, hailing from a nomadic tribe who lived on the southern edge of the Empire of Stars. This young boy was named Azunai, and he enjoyed playing near a subterranean geyser, believing it to be normal water, and not realizing that it was imbuing him with large amounts of pure magic, changing him inside. Eventually, this boy would rise to become the leader of the Azunites, and challenged Zaramoth's tyrannical rule. At the time, it was impossible for Azunai and his meager army to take on Zaramoth. Zaramoth's forces stretched across the face of Aranna, and their numbers dwarfed those of the Azunites. Azunai's only choice was to weaken Zaramoth by slowly eating away at his forces, engaging in guerrilla skirmishes until he could hold a dozen or so regions. Many brave warriors flocked to Azunai's banner as his victories mounted. Zaramoth had quelled many rebellions during his long reign, and he believed that this upstart would fall just as easily as the rest. He sent a number of his Seck Mages to find a way to assassinate Azunai. One Seck had his son transformed into a beautiful maiden in order to woo the resistance's leader, and then kill him while he slept. However, this plot failed when Xeria, one of Azunai's closest friends and highest general, discovered their plan and slaughtered the mages responsible in the middle of their own camp. Xeria sacrificed herself to save Azunai's life, and Zaramoth's scheme to slay him served only to strengthen the Azunite leader's resolve. Seeking out the reclusive Agallans, Azunai convinced them to forge him a shield that could challenge Zaramoth's sword. When the Utgard tyrant learned of this, he was enraged, and was able to turn a group of Agallans, led by a woman named Malith, to his side. These traitors would bring the floating capital of their people, Agalla, crashing into the sea, undermining any further efforts to help Azunai. Battle on the Plain of Tears Moving his vast army out of Zaramoth's Horns, to the plain where Azunai's army was camped, the Unmaker planned on personally ripping the beating heart of the resistance from it's chest. Both armies clashed on what would be known forever afterwards as the Plain of Tears, not far from the modern town of Kalrathia. As the battle raged on, Azunai rushed through the fray in order to face Zaramoth head-on, holding his Agallan-forged shield in hand. The duel between Azunai and Zaramoth lasted for but a moment. Zaramoth's sword missed Azunai a few times, and then came crashing down on his shield. The magic that was stored inside both the shield and the sword exploded all around them. The explosion of magic stunned everyone on the battlefield. It rippled through everything in miles all around, tearing the souls of the soldiers from their bodies, making them rush into the River of Souls and causing it to overflow with magic. Aftermath When the River of Souls overflowed, it cascaded into many different tunnels and caverns that dotted the world, smashing the wards that the Cinbri had created in order to control it. Magic once again flowed freely to those who wished to command it. Unfortunately, this also brought about the First Cataclysm, which ravaged the land and changed it forever. Zaramoth's armies were thrown into disarray, and the Empire of Stars collapsed in on itself after the Unmaker's defeat. His sword was lost for many long centuries afterwards, but was eventually discovered by a prince from the Northern Reaches named Valdis, who claimed it for himself, believing that he was Zaramoth Reborn. The Overmage of the Cinbri would eventually use the fragments of Zaramoth's sword to bind his own soul with that of the Unmaker following the Second Cataclysm, hoping to reopen the portal to the Cinbri homeland using the same ancient powers Zaramoth had used when it was first opened. A descendant of Azunai himself was able to stop these plans from reaching fruition. Both Zaramoth and Azunai reportedly died in the battle, however, there are also strong reports that suggest that Azunai ascended to a sort of godhood for his deeds. Category:Characters Category:Utgards